Between the Barn & the Bible


Have you ever found yourself holding on tightly to something that God might be asking you to let go of?

Maybe it's something familiar. Something comfortable. Something you've come to depend on.

And when it starts to change, your first reaction isn't peace. It's panic.

Well, I had a little reminder of that recently, and it came from an unexpected place... out in the pasture, with a little lamb named Buttercup and she wasn't happy about it!

Isn't that just like us sometimes?

We get comfortable with the way things have always been. We have routines, relationships, plans, and things we depend on. Sometimes those things aren't bad at all. But there are seasons when God begins to change something.

Maybe He is asking us to release something we've been holding onto.

Maybe a door closes. Maybe a season ends. Maybe something we thought we needed is no longer available in the way it used to be.

And suddenly, we're crying out, wondering why God isn't giving us what we're asking for.

We keep looking for the bottle.

We keep asking Him to put things back the way they were.

But what if, instead of focusing on what God isn't giving us, we began to focus on the One who is right there with us?

Psalm 23:1 says:

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want."

I love that picture of God as our Shepherd.

A shepherd knows his sheep. He knows what they need, when they need it, and how to care for them.

And sometimes, caring for them means leading them into a new season.

It doesn't mean the shepherd has stopped loving them.

It means he knows what is best for them.

Instead of striving, worrying, trying to figure everything out, or desperately reaching for the thing we think will make us feel better, maybe we need to simply sit with our Shepherd.

Spend a little time in His Word.

Be still long enough to listen.

Tell Him what's on your heart.

And remind yourself that even when your circumstances change, His character doesn't.

He is still good. He is still faithful. He is still present. And He still knows exactly what you need.

I don't know what season you're walking through right now.

Maybe you're in the middle of a change you didn't ask for. Maybe you're grieving something you've had to release. Maybe God is asking you to trust Him in an area where you've always wanted to be in control.

Whatever it is, I want to encourage you today:

Don't spend so much time looking for the bottle that you miss the Shepherd standing right beside you.

One kind word. One small act of kindness. One moment when somebody chooses patience instead of frustration.

Sometimes we never know how far those little moments will reach.

How often do we underestimate the impact of one small action?

We might think we have to do something big to make a difference. We need to help somebody in a major way, say something profound, or do something that everybody notices.

But what if making a difference starts with something much smaller?

A smile. An encouraging word. Helping somebody who is struggling. Choosing to be patient when things don't go the way we planned.

One little thing can lead to another, and before we know it, we've started a chain reaction.

Our Scripture for the day was Ephesians 5:1–2. It says:

“Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us…”

I love that this Scripture starts by reminding us that we are dearly loved children of God.

Before we talk about what we should do, we need to remember who we are and whose we are.

We don't have to earn God's love by being kind enough, helpful enough, or good enough. He loves us, and out of that love, we can learn to love others.

We can follow His example. We can walk in love.

Ephesians reminds us that we are dearly loved children of God. And because we have received His love, we have the privilege of sharing it with others.

So, as you go about your week, look for those little moments. The ordinary opportunities. The people God has placed right in front of you.

You never know when one little thing might lead to another.

And that one little thing might just be the beginning of a beautiful chain reaction.